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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922460">Keep Me Close</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wewriteletters/pseuds/wewriteletters'>wewriteletters</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hospitals, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Non-Graphic Violence, Whump, vague motives are vague</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:00:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wewriteletters/pseuds/wewriteletters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When three armed men storm the precinct, Gil tells Malcolm to hide in his office. But when has Malcolm ever followed directions?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gil Arroyo &amp; Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright &amp; Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright &amp; JT Tarmel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Keep Me Close</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for<a href="https://malclombright.tumblr.com/post/614656188627517440/what-does-ams-stand-for-on-the-bracelet-please">this prompt</a> on tumblr. </p><p>Well that finale sure was something! I'm sure I'll write something for it later, but for now I finally finished this request that I've been sitting on for a while. Because you can never have too much Malcolm whump on here. The ending is a bit rushed to say the least but I wanted to post it this week. Hope you guys enjoy &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Malcolm knew today was going to suck. </p><p>For one thing, it was the hottest day of the summer. Malcolm had never been a big fan of the heat; he didn’t like to dress for warm weather and even stepping outside for a few minutes always made him feel like he was drenched in sweat. It was also when homicide rates in the city jumped, which you’d think Malcolm would at least find interesting, but the crimes were always heat of the moment (no pun intended) and didn’t really require a profiler. Husband and wife get into an argument, husband shoots wife. Neighbors get into a fight, one of them hits the other too hard. Bar brawl turns into a murder because someone happened to have a knife on them. Open and shut, doesn’t even make it up to major crimes, let alone to Malcolm. </p><p>Second of all, there was literally nothing to do. At least, nothing for Malcolm to do. Gil had told him he could take the day off but Malcolm came in anyway, figuring any case would be more compelling than just sitting around his apartment while avoiding his mother’s phone calls. But when Malcolm got to the precinct, he realized it was just him, Gil, Dani, JT, and a couple of cops Malcolm knew by first name only. </p><p>“Where is everybody?” Malcolm inquired, as he walked into Gil’s office, not bothering with greetings. </p><p>Gil sighed, shooting him a look that told Malcolm he had been serious about him taking the day off, but eventually answered; “The Met is hosting some outdoor exhibit in Central Park and it’s all hands on deck to help with security. Plus we already got calls for two homicides, four assaults, and an armed robbery at a convenience store.”</p><p>“And you don’t think I would be of use for any of that?”</p><p>Gil sighed, pushing his pen around on his desk. “Kid, relax. If you want this consulting thing to be a permanent position, you’ll have to get used to slow days.” </p><p>“Clearly not so slow for everyone else!” </p><p>“You want to put on a uniform and guard a Monet for twelve hours in a hundred degree heat? Be my guest.”</p><p>Malcolm pouted, but agreed that Gil probably had a point. But since he was here already, he might as well try and make himself useful. “At least throw me a cold case? I promise I won’t-” </p><p>Suddenly, there was a scream from the bullpen. Malcolm immediately turned his head, trying to catch a glimpse of the commotion through the curtained window in Gil’s office. All he could see was the back of Dani’s head from a spot where the blinds didn’t close all the way. </p><p>“Everyone put your weapons on the floor and kick them over here now!”</p><p>Before Malcolm could even try and process what was going on, Gil was rushing up from his chair, hand already on the gun in his holster. “Stay here,” he ordered. Malcolm hardly ever heard Gil use that tone of voice, at least not with him. He knew it meant whatever was happening must be serious. </p><p>Malcolm opened his mouth to reply, insisting he could be useful, but Gil had already left the room, shutting the door behind him. Malcolm quickly jumped on to the couch, peeking through a corner of the window and trying to figure out what was even going on. </p><p>Three men Malcolm had never seen before were standing in the center of the room. All of them were armed and one of them had a crying woman in his arms, a gun pointed at her head. Malcolm had seen the woman around the precinct before, he remembered Dani introducing her to him. Her name was Zoe, she wasn’t even a cop, she was an intelligence analyst, and she had a pet cat, Malcolm had seen pictures of it on her desk. Even though Malcolm rarely interacted with people outside of Gil’s team of detectives, Zoe had always smiled at him and said hi when he walked past her. She was nothing but kind to him.</p><p>But now, she was in mortal danger. The man holding her was forcing her to keep standing, but Malcolm could see, even from his obstructed view, how much her legs were shaking. Her face was covered in tears and still more were pouring out. She looked absolutely terrified. Next to her, the two other men held out their own guns. </p><p>Malcolm didn’t know what the men wanted, but the fact that they already had a hostage was bad. It was hard to tell what Dani, JT, and two other cops were doing since their backs were to the window, but he could only assume they all had their weapons drawn. Before he could even figure out what he should do, Gil came into his line of vision. He had his gun trained on the man holding Zoe and began approaching slowly. </p><p>“Stay the fuck away,” one of the men shouted. He looked young, definitely younger than Malcolm, and was wearing a blue baseball cap. Out of the three, he looked the least comfortable. The man next to him, who looked almost like a soldier in a war zone, with his sunglasses, buzz cut, and two other hand guns strapped to his chest, was completely collected and almost impossible to read. The final man, the one who had Zoe, just looked absolutely furious. Malcolm could almost immediately tell that whatever reason they were here, he had been the one to make the plan. </p><p>“I just want to talk,” Gil replied, keeping his gun up. “Look, why don’t you guys just let her and the rest of the officers go, and the four of us can talk? That’s all I’m asking for.”</p><p>“So you can just shoot us all?” The man with the buzz cut replied, moving his gun to aim it directly at Gil’s head. The younger man kept his on the four cops, occasionally moving it to rest on one specific target. “Not a chance in hell. If you want to talk, tell your cronies to put their weapons down and maybe we’ll consider not blowing this bitches brains out.” </p><p>Malcolm’s chest tightened and he jumped off the couch. He couldn’t just stay and watch this anymore. He considered looking around Gil’s office to see if he had another gun, but he figured he didn’t have any time to waste. </p><p>Besides, his strong suit had always been using his words. </p><p>Despite how Gil and the team treated him, Malcolm had been an FBI agent for nearly a decade. He’d never fired his gun in the field, but he still knew how to use it. And talking down hostages had been one of his specialties. He’d been called in to numerous hostage negotiations during his time in DC, the same skills that made it easy for him to slip into the mind of a killer making him able to talk someone down before deciding to pull a trigger or detonate a bomb. He couldn’t just stand by while his team was in danger. </p><p>Gil must have heard the door open because, without turning his head away from the three men, he yelled “Bright, get back in my office, now!”</p><p>The shaky kid flinched and quickly moved his gun so it was pointed at Malcolm. “Who the hell are you? Put your hands up, now!”</p><p>“My name is Malcolm Bright,” he answered, trying to stay calm. He knew they wouldn’t be able to tell, but Malcolm was terrified on the inside. It was one thing to put himself in harm’s way, but it was another to be in a situation where the people he loved may be hurt or killed. “I’m a profiler for the NYPD. Lieutenant Arroyo is right, we just want to talk to you. Obviously, you guys want something, but we can’t help you if we don’t know what it is.” </p><p>Malcolm took a step forward to try and establish proximity to the men, but the first gunman flinched and forced the barrel of the gun in his direction. “Take one more step…”</p><p>“Okay, I won’t move. See,” Malcolm held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not moving. But I still want to talk to you guys. Alone. Let everyone else go; I’m completely unarmed and will stay up here so you can still have a hostage.”</p><p>“Bright!” Gil growled from behind him in a warning tone. “Get behind me, now! I am ordering you, as your commanding officer.” </p><p>Malcolm ignored his mentor, focusing all his attention on the man with a gun currently trained in the center of his forehead. “I’ll come over to you right now. Just let Zoe go.”</p><p>“Tell the boys in blue to put their god damn guns on the floor like we already told them and we’ll consider it,” the second gunman replied. “I’m getting really tired of asking nicely.”</p><p>Malcolm looked over to Dani and JT, keeping his motions slow to avoid startling anyone. “Guys, put the guns down.”</p><p>“Bright, are you crazy?” JT replied. “Not a chance.”</p><p>“You sure about that?” The man holding Zoe asked, digging the barrel of his gun harder into her skull. </p><p>“Please, at least tell us what you want.” Malcolm kept his voice steady, trying to draw out as much information about the men as he could. They were either smart enough to figure out a way to sneak multiple handguns into a police station, or they had a connection on the inside. Given they knew to come in when there wouldn’t be many officers there, Malcolm assumed it was the latter. Still, taking hostages at a precinct was effectively a suicide mission. They must have all had nothing left to lose. “No one just does this kind of thing as a fun, Friday, activity!”</p><p>Although Malcolm couldn’t see her face, he knew Dani was rolling her eyes at his light tone. But he needed to de escalate as best he could, and that meant making the gunmen feel at ease. “I’m sure you are all very angry. And probably have a justified reason! But no one here needs to get hurt. Think about it logically, you have, what, maybe ten minutes before this entire place is surrounded by SWAT? People on other floors heard the screaming. And there are plenty of tall buildings around us that a sniper could get an easy shot from. Something is going to bring an end to this stand off. But if you go now-”</p><p>“How about you get down on the floor before I take an easy shot at you,” the gunman holding Zoe snapped. “None of us are leaving until we get the chief of police, DA, and governor on the phone. None of you can do shit about our demands.” </p><p>“Bright, listen to him,” Dani urged from his left. Malcolm risked moving his neck ever so slightly to see the rest of his team's positions. Dani, JT, and the two other cops were standing in a straight line, about twelve feet away from the gunman. Malcolm was a couple feet in front of them and Gil was somewhere behind him. He knew all of them were trying to figure out how they could get the guns away from the men without them open firing or shooting Zoe point blank. “You’re not a cop, this isn’t what you do.”</p><p>“Dani, you know I was an FBI-” </p><p>“Hold up, you didn’t say you were a fed,” the second gunman interrupted. Using his shoulder, he nudged the younger man to his right. “Ben, go bring him over here. I’m sure his DC handlers will be more than willing to cooperate with our demands.”</p><p>Before Malcolm had a chance to respond, Ben was inching towards him. He heard Gil yell from behind him. “You take another step forward and you’re dead!”</p><p>Malcolm turned his head back towards his mentor. “Gil, don’t, he’s just a kid-”</p><p>“Ben!” The man holding Zoe screamed. “Grab his arm, now!” </p><p>Malcolm turned back around. Ben was only a few feet away from him now. </p><p>And then, all hell broke loose. </p><p>Malcolm had no idea who fired the first shot. He guessed it was probably one of the two cops who had been huddled together with Dani and JT. But the next thing he saw was Ben’s knee exploding in a mess of blood. He began screaming, and suddenly bullets were flying everywhere. The man with the buzzcut grabbed Zoe and started pulling her into the hallway, while the final gunman continued to shoot at the cops. Dani, JT, and Gil, were all firing as well, but the three men were good at dodging, as they tried to retreat back into the hall. Ben was limping and sobbing, but he still managed to turn around the corner without being hit again. But they still had Zoe. Malcolm rushed forward, running past Gil, doing his best to run to the right of the gunfire. “Wait, please, let her go!”</p><p>Malcolm didn’t see who fired the shot. He didn’t even hear the gun go off. </p><p>All he knew was suddenly his right leg was giving out under him. He fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head on the edge of a desk. </p><p>“Bright!” He heard Gil screaming, but his voice seemed so far away. All Malcolm could focus on was the pain exploding in his abdomen, shooting up his spine like an electrified rod. The world became a tunnel; all of the screaming and gunshots around him became muffled and his vision went dark around the edges. He ran a hand lightly over his hip and nearly passed out when he brought it up to his face and saw it was covered in blood. </p><p>Malcolm barely processed what happened next. In all likeliness, it probably took less than thirty seconds, but to him it felt like an eternity of laying on the bullpen linoleum, blood slowly leaking out around him. Gil was screaming at Dani and JT to help him, and he heard pounding footsteps running down the hallway. The next thing Malcolm knew, he was being hoisted up in the air by his legs and shoulders. He started screaming, the movement causing pain to rip through his abdomen. He instinctively struggled against the firm hands holding him up, flailing around like a fish on dry land trying to get out of the grip. </p><p>“Bright, calm down, stop moving.” Dani’s voice infiltrated the fuzziness in his head enough to get him to stop fighting their hold, but every time the people (presumably, Gil and JT) who were carrying him stumbled, Malcolm let out another cry of pain. It must have gotten so bad, he blacked out for a few seconds because when he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the floor of Gil’s office, everyone above rushing around him. </p><p>“JT!” Malcolm flinched, as Gil’s voice boomed overhead. All of his senses were suddenly heightened and it resulted in a horrible feeling of over stimulation. He felt everything; the ripping sensation every time he struggled to take a breath, the blood that was somehow both incredibly warm and freezing to the touch soaking into the fabric of his pants, the horrible pain shooting through his abdomen and hip. Malcolm tried to regain his focus, but the simple task of even opening his eyes all the way seemed physically impossible. “Barricade the door. Dani, grab the radio on my desk and alert all units. This place needs to be put on lockdown, we don’t know where those men went.”</p><p>Above him, Malcolm heard the sound of furniture scraping against the floor and Dani’s footsteps running behind him. He found himself smiling absentmindedly as his head lolled back and forth on the floor. Even in a crisis like this, Gil was remaining calm and focused. He was such a good leader. Malcolm wanted to sleep; Gil would take care of him. Gil always took care of everything. </p><p>“Kid, don’t you dare close your eyes on me.” Malcolm tried to pry them open at Gil’s command, but it was nearly impossible not to embrace the warm feeling that was engulfing him, whispering in his ear to just let go, let himself fall asleep. </p><p>It had been so long since he could fall asleep. </p><p>He felt Gil’s hand on his cheek. The older man tried patting it, but in his fear he hit a bit too hard and Malcolm flinched. “Bright! Stay with me.” Malcolm saw JT in his peripheral kneeling next to him, hands hovering over the wound. His eyelids kept fluttering until they finally closed fully. </p><p>A sharp pain stabbing through his pelvis and lower back was what finally forced Malcolm’s eyes open again. He screamed, the pain mounting even more than it had been. Dani’s voice echoed around him, coming in in bits and pieces; “we need all available units...active shooters...hostage situation...three male suspects, white, ages approximately 25 to 40...one suspect shot in the leg...immediate medical assistance...NYPD consultant with...hurry!”</p><p>Malcolm opened his mouth to try to speak but he just felt blood dripping out of the side of his mouth. The bullet could have hit his intestine, he could be slowly drowning in his own blood. His head was so foggy, but he was doing his best to try and focus on Gil, hovering above him, his own hands stained red. </p><p>“Blee-bleeding,” Malcolm managed to mumble. His father had taught him first aid growing up, but what to do when you were shot had never really come up in conversation. Although Malcolm knew that no matter what Gil did, if he didn’t make it to a hospital within the next half hour, he was done for. He would bleed out on the floor of the office, with Gil, Dani, and JT standing by helplessly. Malcolm forced his right arm to move, despite the fact that it felt like it was made of lead, and brought it up to his stomach. The second the weight of his hand was even near the bullet wound, Malcolm’s head was reeling back and he had to grit his teeth together to keep from screaming. “St-stop-stop the bleeding.” </p><p>Gil finally took his eyes off Malcolm’s face, as if the weight of the situation was hitting him for the first time. “God-I...you’re right, I’m sorry. JT! I have a first aid kit in the bottom drawer on the left.” </p><p>Malcolm tried to relax as best he could. Gil had moved his hands down to put pressure on Malcolm’s abdomen and he let out another cry. Tears were already pouring down his face and he tried to focus on something else. Above him, he could see Dani dropping the radio and rushing to move to the side so JT could get around the desk. Without a task to focus on, Dani seemed stunned, as she tried to process everything going on around them. The screaming from outside the door had stopped and there hadn’t been any more gunshots; Malcolm assumed the men took the rest of the officers somewhere else. </p><p>Malcolm felt cold. The entire office had been hot all day but suddenly it was like it dropped forty degrees. Malcolm might have savored the coolness if he didn’t know it was from the blood loss. He was going into shock and shock meant his heart wasn’t getting enough blood which meant multi organ failure would set in soon. </p><p>He might not even have thirty minutes.</p><p>“Gil, here!” JT appeared above Malcolm, dropping a large, orange first aid kit on the ground. He quickly opened it, handing Gil a stack of gauze pads. Malcolm was surprised when JT’s gaze turned down to him. “Bright, hang in there. Help is on the way.”</p><p>Malcolm actually could hear sirens in the distance; he figured multiple active shooters in the NYPD precinct would get an immediate response. But that didn’t mean help was close. They knew the shooters had hostages, they’d have to secure the scene first. </p><p>“Kid, I’m sorry, I know this is gonna hurt.” Malcolm’s thoughts were cut off when he felt Gil applying practically his entire weight against the bullet wound, trying to stop the flow of blood as best he could. He began screaming again; it was like a knife being twisted in his abdomen. The screams soon turned into sobs, as the pain only increased. He wished he could pass out, he wished he would just die so he didn’t have to be in so much pain.</p><p>“Hey, Bright, it’s okay. I need you to focus on me.” </p><p>Malcolm opened his eyes, he had clenched them shut against the pain, and found himself face to face with Dani. She had gone down on the floor with Gil and JT and was currently kneeling near his shoulder. Her face was so close to his, Malcolm could see just how wet her brown eyes were with unshed tears. He could tell she was close to falling apart, but she was trying to put on a brave face for him. Trying to reassure him. </p><p>“Dani…” It was all he could get out at first, between the sobs that were still raking his body and the pressure Gil was exerting against his torn up flesh. “H-hurts…”</p><p>“I know, Bright, I know.” Dani was crying now; you could hear it in her voice and Malcolm could see the tears staining her cheeks. She moved so she was even closer to him and began running her fingers through his hair. Malcolm instinctively relaxed at the touch; it felt so nice when compared to the absolute agony every other part of his body was in. “But you gotta stay with us, okay? Don’t try and talk, just focus on breathing.”   </p><p>Malcolm tried to follow her instructions, but every breath he took just caused even more agony to rip through his body. He was worried if he breathed too deeply, he’d just end up choking on the blood that was already creeping up his throat. </p><p>He didn’t have much time left. If there was ever a time for Malcolm to be honest it was now. </p><p>“Dani-” Malcolm was cut off by another scream, as Gil shifted to let JT take over applying pressure while he stood and walked over to the radio. He was vaguely aware of all the chattering over it and how the sirens were so loud, he knew they were right outside the window by now, but it was hard to focus on anything other than JT’s cold hands pressing against his abdomen or Dani stroking his hair. From the corner of his eye, Malcolm could make out Gil speaking into the radio, his voice quick and the device now dripping with blood he hadn’t had a chance to wipe off his hand. Malcolm did his best to collect himself, barely speaking over a mumble. “Dani...thank you for being my friend. I know-I know I can be a lot and you didn’t have to put up with me but you did...you’re probably the first real friend I’ve had in years. And JT...you probably don't consider me a friend, but you clearly tol-tolerate me and I- ”</p><p>“Bright, stop it. Stop talking.” Dani’s voice was just as low as his was, but her words were much more forceful. She was trying so hard not to be overtaken by her tears, that she almost sounded angry. “You’re not going to die, so you can cut it out with the melodramatic final words.” Dani meant it as a joke, but Malcolm could tell she was terrified. </p><p>She didn’t actually believe what she was saying. </p><p>“Dani, p-please just listen…” Malcolm cringed and shut his eyes for a moment, trying to breath through a sudden wave of nausea. “Tell Gil I love him, p-please, I can’t...he saved my-my life...after my father lef-left...please, Dani, y-you-”</p><p>“Bright what I just say about talking,” Dani whispered harshly. “You can tell him all that yourself.” She called over her shoulder. “JT, tell Bright to stop talking so you can do your job.”</p><p>JT looked up from Malcolm’s stomach and offered him a plastered on smile. “Bright, do you really think I’d let you die in Gil’s office? I like my job, dude.” </p><p>Malcolm saw right through their attempts to distract him but he decided to give them the satisfaction. Might as well go peacefully, instead of choking out final words along with the blood. The chatter over the radio was getting louder and more frantic; they must have been planning to send SWAT in soon. It wouldn’t matter; by the time they cleared the first floor Malcolm would already be long gone. </p><p>“Hey, kid, look at me.”</p><p>Gil’s voice above him broke Malcolm out of his trance. Dani had gone to take her turn applying pressure to his abdomen- at this point, he was so far gone he couldn’t even focus on the pain it caused- while JT had moved to the radio to try and work out the quickest way to get medics up to their floor. “Kid, you’re gonna be just fine, okay? You know I’d never let anything happen to you.”</p><p>Malcolm felt too weak to respond. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but no words came, just some blood that bubbled out of his throat and dripped down his face. Finally, Malcolm settled on just trying to smile at Gil, although he was acutely aware it must look more like a grimace. </p><p>“That’s it, Bright.” Gil had lifted his head up slightly, which helped Malcolm breathe a bit more without choking on blood, and rubbed the back of his neck comfortingly. “I love you so much.” </p><p>Gil was crying too. Malcolm hated seeing him cry, especially when he knew he was the reason why. Still, Malcolm desperately craved comfort and allowed himself to relax into the touch.  </p><p>He closed his eyes, as Gil’s soft “I love you”’s mixed with the sound of new voices in the bullpen. </p><p>Maybe someone had come in time?</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The hissing of a machine woke Malcolm up. </p><p>He turned his head slightly, his neck feeling incredibly stiff. Had he fallen asleep at his desk again? It might explain the ache in his back and how disorienting opening his eyes was. It took several seconds for his vision to come into focus. He was staring at a wall, but it wasn’t one he recognized. Malcolm tried sitting up further, but a pulling sensation in his stomach made him stop. </p><p>“Oh crap, you’re up.” </p><p>A voice to Malcolm’s left made him turn his head. Dani was sitting beside him; it looked like she had been there for a while, going by the bags under her eyes and how messy her curls were. Had she fallen asleep at his house? Memories of her passing out on his counter top after she knocked him out when he was high came to mind immediately. But the longer he looked around the room, the more Malcolm realized it definitely wasn’t in his loft. And judging by the beeping of machines, the cream colored walls, and the clearly fake potted plant in the corner, he knew exactly what kind of room it was.</p><p>The hospital. Great. </p><p>Malcolm looked at Dani, trying to vocalize the many questions going through his mind right now. “What happened?” “How long have I been out?” “When can I leave?” But none of them came out. </p><p>“Hang on,” Dani said, standing up. “I need to call...your mom and sister. God, I...uh I wasn’t supposed to be alone when you woke up.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Gil should be back soon, he just went to get coffee, I think...Sorry, I should have started with...How are you feeling?”</p><p>Malcolm tilted his head. He really wasn’t feeling anything. At least physically;his mind was plenty foggy. “Fine? Tired, I think.” He replied, wincing at how dry his throat was. “What happened?” </p><p>Dani looked down at the floor. Malcolm was glad that if he was going to wake up in the hospital next to anyone, it was Dani. She wouldn’t beat around the bush with answers like his mother or Gil would. “You were shot Bright. At the precinct, remember? I guess the anesthesia they gave you for surgery is finally wearing off, but you’ve been out cold since yesterday afternoon. It’s around dinner time now; that’s where your mom and Ainsley are, getting food.” Dani bounced on the balls of her feet, shifting her weight around. “You lost a lot of blood. I don’t even know how many transfusions they had to give you...We were all really worried.”</p><p>Malcolm tilted his head away from Dani, leaning further into his pillow and trying to let the information absorb. Finally, Malcolm settled on a response in his exhausted state. </p><p>“I can’t be shot,” Malcolm mumbled, his eyes opening and closing slowly. “I feel...fine. If I was shot, it would hurt.”</p><p>“Bright, you’re just high out of your mind,” Dani replied, stifling a laugh. “Whatever painkillers they have you on, they’re working very well.”</p><p>“Oh…” Malcolm titled his head towards the IV in his arm, as if noticing it for the first time. “Think I can get this at home?”</p><p>Dani shook her head. “Just enjoy it while it lasts. The bullet broke your iliac crest and ruptured your ascending colon. I don’t really get what that means, but it sounds like it’ll hurt like hell.” </p><p>Malcolm rolled his eyes, trying to hide his own smile. But just as he was finally starting to relax, letting himself enjoy the pleasant numbness the morphine afforded him, flashes of memories from the precinct were coming back to him. His head snapped up and he tried to move to sit, but the pressure cut through the painkillers and he had to swallow back at sob. Malcolm bit his lip, trying to ride through the wave of pain. “The others…” He struggled to get out. “There were other people. Zoe?”</p><p>“Bright, lay back down before you pop your stitches and lose even more blood.” Dani put her hands on his shoulders and firmly but gently helped him to lean back on the pillows. Malcolm breathed out a thank you, closing his eyes to try and keep his head from spinning. “Zoe’s safe. No other NYPD employees were shot.”</p><p>“But...the gunmen?”</p><p>Dani’s expression grew somber. “Two of them were killed when SWAT finally came up. You were completely passed out by then. The youngest one is in this same hospital with a bullet in his skull...I’m sorry, Bright. You tried to help them-”</p><p>“Why?” Malcolm interrupted. “Do you know why?”</p><p>She shook her head. “I mean, it’s only been about 24 hours. We’re still looking into the motive, but it’s a bit more difficult when there isn’t anyone we can interview.” </p><p>Malcolm nodded, his face falling a bit. He was glad Zoe was safe, but he still hated that two men were dead and one was still fighting for his life. Dani probably would have changed the subject if not for the door opening and both their attentions brought over to it.</p><p>“Kid!” Gil was so excited, he nearly dropped the paper tray with four cups of coffee he was juggling. “You’re awake!”</p><p>“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” Malcolm responded, his throat getting tired from all the speaking. He guessed he had been on a ventilator until very recently. </p><p>“I’d offer you some coffee, but I don’t think your doctor would be happy about that.” Gil walked around the bed to hand Dani a cup. “Did you let Jessica know?” </p><p>“Just texted Ainsley and judging by the amount of emojis she replied with, I think they’ll both be up here soon.” Dani turned back to Malcolm, reaching a hand out to squeeze his shoulder. “I think that’s my cue to head out. It was fun watching you sleep for once, Bright.” She quickly turned more somber, as she patted his shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay. I'll be by tomorrow."</p><p>“Bye Dani,” Malcolm said, his eyes getting heavy with exhaustion. As he listened to the door close, he turned back to Gil, who had settled into the chair Dani had just abandoned. “She told me what happened.”</p><p>“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, kid. How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Fine,” Malcolm echoed what he told Dani. “Or at least fine all things considered.”</p><p>Gil chuckled and took a sip of his coffee. “You really scared us back there, Bright. You know I didn’t tell you to stay in my office as a joke, right?” </p><p>“You’ve known me for two decades, if you still think I follow directions...that’s on you.” Malcolm smiled, the painkillers making everything seem funny. </p><p>“I’m serious, kid.” Gil’s suddenly somber tone cut through the cloud Malcolm’s head was still in. “Watching you trying to talk those men down and then nearly bleeding to death in my office...it was terrifying.”</p><p>Malcolm looked down at himself, taking in the beige hospital blanket, the white gown that was no doubt covering bandages wrapped around his abdomen, the pulse oximeter attached to his finger and the IV in his wrist. The weight of what happened suddenly overwhelmed him and he felt light headed.</p><p>“Whoa, kid, I’m sorry, are you okay? I didn’t think you could get much paler than you already are.” </p><p>“I’m-” Malcolm hesitated, taking a breath to center himself. “I’m sorry I scared you. I just wanted to help.” That’s all he ever wanted to do. He wanted to help Zoe, he wanted to help his team. If Dani or JT or Gil had gotten shot while he was cowering in another room, Malcolm knew he’d never forgive himself.   </p><p>“I know, Bright,” Gil replied, taking Malcolm’s hand in his and squeezing it. “And that’s one of your best traits but...I really thought you were going to die right there in front of all of us. Putting myself in danger is part of my job, but you’re not a cop.” </p><p>“But I’m still part of the team.” Malcolm examined Gil’s face. He seemed even older in the dim hospital lighting. Malcolm could tell he hadn’t been sleeping. “I need to have your back. But maybe next time...I’ll stand behind the people with the guns when talking to armed hostage takers.”</p><p>Gil laughed again. “I think that’s a fair compromise. Now get some rest, if you’re asleep you won’t have to argue with your mother about your career choices until later.” </p><p>Malcolm smiled, allowing himself to drift off in the haze of pain medication, knowing that with Gil by his side, he’d always be safe.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Come scream about the finale with me @ malclombright on tumblr dot com.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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